‘Privately public’ microtopias: Court, Brown, Carney and AI

The internet has never been a safe or private space. Consumers value the illusion of privacy afforded by cookie preferences, incognito browsers and the option to deny tracking software. However, the increasing proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) is renegotiating the bounds of public and private digital space. Artworks that use AI technologies are interactive and relational, they rely on user input to feed a generative algorithm. It is viewers who provide a service; the intersubjective encounter between humans and AI is a primary mode of engagement. While place and safety have always been integral concerns to digital consumption, AI as an artistic medium provides access to a space that is both literally and virtually, ‘privately public’.